The current proposal is directed at an understanding of the genetic causes of hypertension in blacks. There is evidence that blacks in comparison to whites have an increased sodium reabsorption that underlies an increased susceptibility to hypertension. We will study whether an increase in angiotension II acitvity within the kidney and/or an increase in reabsorption of sodium through the amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel is associated with specific variants for the angiotensiogen and aniotension I AT1 receptor gene sand the genes for ENaC.